Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will review the impact of historic Housing Revenue Account debt on the ability of local authorities to deliver social homes.

The government recognises that many councils are facing significant financial pressures on their Housing Revenue Accounts.

The government has already taken a number of steps to rebuild the capacity of councils to borrow and invest in new and existing homes, including fundamental reform of the Right to Buy scheme, a 10-year social housing rent settlement, and Social Rent convergence.

We will continue to explore further ways we might support councils to expand their stock of social homes, including low-cost borrowing options.